Ensuring that their own family doesn't cause any trouble at this time is extremely important. Even if they are the emperor's maternal family or the crown prince's maternal family, these are indeed areas of honor for them. However, at certain times, all of this also places even stricter demands on them.

At this time, it's important to keep a low profile and also to restrain certain individuals; that's what they should be doing.

Zhu Yunying was relatively reassured about Chang Mao and Xu Huizu's awareness. He believed that these two leaders of the great military merits were self-aware and knew which side they should stand on.

Zhu Yunying didn't need to say much about these things; he simply did what he was supposed to do. He was not only an emperor of noble families, but also the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and there were certain things he had to do.

After Xu Huizu and Chang Mao took their leave, Zhu Yunying said to Wang Chengen, "Summon the ministers of the six ministries."

Wang Chengen didn't say much. He knew that all he needed to do was to fulfill the Emperor's instructions. That was his duty; he couldn't make decisions for the Emperor, nor could he interfere with or influence the Emperor's decisions.

The Minister of Personnel, Ru Chang; the Minister of Rites, Chen Di; the Minister of Justice, Bao Zhao; the Minister of War, Tie Xuan; the Minister of Revenue, Wang Dun; and Huang Guan, who was acting as the Minister of Works.

It can be said that the Ming Dynasty still had a group of elite soldiers and generals. These people were mostly orthodox scholars, including people from the south, the north, and even ethnic minorities. Some came from the orthodox imperial examination system, while others did not.

For example, Tie Xuan was not a graduate of the traditional imperial examination system. He was selected from the Imperial Academy and appointed as a censor in the Ministry of Rites, and he also had experience in governing local areas. This person was actually a descendant of Hui people from the Yuan Dynasty.

Ru Chang and Bao Zhao both claimed to have been selected from the Imperial Academy. Wang Dun, on the other hand, came from the imperial examination system, having passed the Jinshi examination during the Yuan Dynasty. Huang Guan, however, was a legitimate graduate of the imperial examination system, achieving the top rank in both the provincial and imperial examinations during the 24th year of the Ming Dynasty. Chen Di, even if he was from a family of meritorious officials, was still considered a descendant of a meritorious official.

Zhu Yunying appeared to be doing this, recruiting talent without being bound by convention, which also implied that heroes should not be judged by their origins. Of course, his approach must have caused some resentment among scholars, even though the six ministers of the Ming Dynasty were essentially scholars themselves.

However, the composition of these six ministers was not entirely based on the imperial examination system, which somewhat diminishes the importance of the imperial examination system.

If it were the early days of the dynasty, it wouldn't be so bad, as there were many unsung heroes back then. But now, more than thirty years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the promotion system for civil officials seems to be mature, but it is causing concern among some "wise people".

The importance of the imperial examination system was shaken, which was a blow to many scholars, affecting their rights and status, and naturally, it threatened their vested interests. These positions were supposed to be their core power base.

However, these people were probably a bit greedy. You should know that during the Yuan Dynasty, people were divided into four classes: Mongols, Semu people, Han people, and Southern people. Yuan Dynasty officials were basically from the first and second classes.

It was only at the end of the Yuan Dynasty that Han Chinese and Southern Chinese had a few opportunities to become officials, and even then, they were only minor officials.

At that time, most scholars seemed quite compliant and didn't make many demands. But now, the Ming Dynasty has given them more preferential treatment, yet these people still feel somewhat dissatisfied.

The Ming Dynasty did not treat scholars well, which already caused resentment among many scholars. Now that their access to officialdom has also been affected, it would be a complete lie to say that they have no complaints.

And let's not forget that the emperor's suppression of scholars was not just about the Duke Yansheng losing his status and face.

These include those who are now serving as officials in the court, as well as some craftsmen and some minor officials who were once insignificant.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Hongwu Emperor and the Yingshi Emperor greatly impacted the many privileges of scholars. However, they seemed to have no better options, as these two emperors were simply too domineering.

The fact that all six ministers were summoned at the same time was naturally a momentous event. Considering what had happened during the morning court session, it only fueled further speculation, and each of them appeared somewhat worried.

Something big is about to happen, so we need to be extra careful and absolutely cannot let anything go wrong at this time.

They were indeed the emperor's subjects, but they also represented the interests of civil officials and sought to restrain imperial power.

Even if things aren't going well for you right now, you shouldn't just be a yes-man for the emperor. When it's time to have your own stance, you definitely need to have one.

Looking at the six ministers who had arrived in unison, Zhu Yunying asked, "The Emperor Emeritus established a rule years ago that scholars should focus on their studies and not discuss state affairs. How many years has it been? Have you already forgotten these things?"

The six ministers were at a loss for words, as these rules were indeed established by the Hongwu Emperor. Initially, these policies were strictly enforced, and many people were aware of their implications.

However, over the years, these restrictions have actually been gradually relaxed.

Moreover, many people are aware of this, and they won't engage in grand pronouncements. It's just that when scholars gather, it's not always just about poetry, songs, or academic discussions. Sometimes, scholars also like to discuss current affairs and national matters.

As long as it's not too excessive, many people don't really care about these things, and it seems there aren't that many things to be wary of.

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